LIONS & TIGERS & BEARS (my grant winning entry)

This was my Grant winning entry for a $5000 donation to Valley of the Kings! WOOT!

LIONS & TIGERS & BEARS…and many other exotics as well as farm animals reside at Valley of the Kings. Valley of the Kings aka VOTK is a Big Cat & Exotic Rescue and Sanctuary founded 38 years ago and is nestled in the sleepy countryside of Southeast WI. I started volunteering at VOTK the first week of January 2009 during a wicked ice storm. Let me add that I hate the cold, but my first day of hard labor sold me. For the past 3 ½ years I have volunteered every Sunday and work 7-9 hours. I also go some weekday and Saturdays when needed. My hours can easily add up to 500 in a year in labor and fundraising efforts.

VOTK is strictly non-profit and exists solely on donations and memberships. Operating costs are between $10,000- $12,000 per month , electricity alone can reach over $2000 a month.

I have always loved big cats, the panthers being a favorite since childhood, but it was RC, the horse with no eyes that stole my heart. RC came from a local farm that had a seizure of approximately 40 horses due to neglect. RC could not be placed at a regular farm due to severe infection in both eyes caused by living in filth. VOTK committed to taking in RC and had her eyes removed to relieve her pain. She has a seeing eye donkey, Monchee, who is her best buddy. To watch how she maneuvers around her small field area is always amazing to me. I committed myself to make sure she always had a spotless stall before I left at the end of the day. While I work in her area she stands at my shoulder listening to every word I say. She loves when I talk to her. I will occasionally stop to give her nose kisses and back rubs. When it is time to put the shavings down she waits until I tell her that I am all done, then she proceeds to roll around in bliss in her clean stall. I then brush her down, telling her how much I love her with each brush stroke. The bond I share with this amazing horse is beyond words. She completes my soul.

It is difficult to keep my volunteer experience short as there are so many stories I could tell about all the wonderful animals and people. I started writing a blog called animalbond.blogspot.com and added animal photography (flickr.com/susanR58) to share my many enriching encounters. Volunteering at Valley of the Kings is one of the most personally rewarding experiences of my life. I have learned firsthand about the circle of life, the sadness and joy that accompanies an animal’s passing, to see the love and trust these once abused animals now have for their caregivers. Volunteering is to give back and not expect anything in return. I satisfy my desire to help animals (my passion), provide service (something we all should be doing), get lots of healthy exercise and it all brings peace and unconditional love into my life. -Susan Reinholz